Latch strike



L. OTTINGER LATCH STRIKE June l4, 1929.

Filed April 9, '1927 Patented .lune 4, 1929..,y

- UNITED sfr LEON OTTINGER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

LATCH STRIKE.

Application :filed April 9,

This invention relates to latch strikes, and while of more or less general application, is especially designed for use in connection with the door latches of automobiles and similar vehicles. It is the primary object and purpose of my invention to provide the latchv strike with automatically acting means cooperating with the latch bolt to positively crowd the door to its closed position and ob viate possibility of the accidental opening movement of the door by a repression of the latch bolt incident to the application of pressure against the inner side of the door and to also prevent rattling.

It is a more part-icular object of my present improvements to provide a novel construction of the strike plate having a dog slidably mounted upon one end thereof and adapted to be moved in one direction relative to the plate by the force of the latch spring in projecting the bolt, and said dogand the strike plate having coacting means causing a bodily movement of the: dog at right angles to the line of movement of the bolt whereby transverse pressure is exerted by the dog on the end of the latch ,bolt to crowd the door to its\ closed position.t o

It is another object of my invention to provide a latch strike of t-he above construction which however, will permit ofthe free and easy retracting movement of the latch bolt and the return of the crowding dog to its normal position upon the actuation of the latch handle.

It is' a further general object of my invention to provide a device for the above purpose, in which the several parts are of simple and inexpensive construction, positive and reliable in their functional o eration, and can be readily applied tothe clbor pillar for cooperation with the latch without necessitating any structuralchanges in the latter.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the improved latch strike, and in the form, construction and rela- Qtive arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, oand subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated' several simple and practical embodiments of the device,` and in which simil-ar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a part of the pillar and the free edge 1927. Serial No. 182,229.

of a vehicle door illustrating 011e application of my present improvements and showing the door in partly open position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the strike plate however, door being illustrated in its fully closed position; A

Fig. 3 is a front face View of the latch strike;

Fig. 4 is a rear face view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch plate; n

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the crowding dog, and

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view showing a slightly alternative form of the device as applied in connection with the latch of' t-he door of a cupboard or the like.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 thereof, for purposes of illustration, I have shown a portion of a door pillar 5 and the free verbeing shown in elevation, and the tical edge portion of the door 6 which is 'l adapted to closeagainst said pillar. As herein shown, this door at its outer side is provided with a laterally projecting flange 7 to contact against the outer side face of the pillar when the door is in itsl closed position. However, this arrangement may be reversed if desired, and the stop flange 7 provided on the pillar 5. In the inner side face of the door, the latch 8 having the usual spring projected bolt 9 is mounted. This latch may be of any conventional or approved construction. f l

The side face of the door pillar 5 opposed to the door opening is provided with a suitable mortise indicated at 10, extending transversely of the pillar. Within. this morti'se the strike plate 11 is positioned, said plate having its rear face in contact with the base wall of the mortise 10 to which said plate is secured by means of the screws indicated at 12. The front side face of the strike plate is provided with the usual stepped inclined surfaces 13 and 14 respectively, and the countersinks of the screw receiving openings 15 are preferably formed in the longer inclined surface 13 of the plate with which the latch bolt rst engages as the door is moved to its closed position.

The inner end of the strike plate 11 is centrally provided with a longitudinally extending slot 16 opening upon the inclined face 14 of the plate. The inner end wall of this slot is obliquely inclined from the bolt engaging .o strike plate.

Cil

surface 14 towards the door pillar to pro-Y vlde a stop 17 with which a similarly inclined wards the front side face of the strike plate by means of the leaf spring 20 which is positioned in a longitudinally yextending groove 21 formed in the rear face of the strike plate and fixed at one of its ends to said plate by the screw or other suitable fastening means indicated at 22. The other end of this spring has free bearing contact against the rear face of the dog 18 andyieldingly urges the same to its normal position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The inner end of the strike plate 11 at the opposite sides of the slot 16 is formed with lugs or extensions 23 having the'obliquely inclined end faces 24, said inclined end faces of the lugs extending at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the plane of the end face of the plate 11 and intersecting' said end face of the plate at a point in spaced relation to the inclined front face 14 of the strike plate'. a.

The outer end of the crowding dog 18 is formed with an end face 25 of the same width as the slot 16 and which is .substantially parallel with the end face of the plate 11. At one side of theo face 25 of the` latch dog, said dog is formed with a T-shaped extension 26 providing oppositely projecting lugs 27 Theouter side face 28 of this extension is disposed in a plane at substantially right angles to the face 25 and the inner faces of the lugs 27 4are obliquely inclined as shown at 29 at an angle of approximately 30 with re-v spect to the end surface 25 of the dog. These inclined faces 29 of the lugs 27 have frictionalsliding engagement upon the inclined faces 24 of the lugs 23 on the strike plate when the dog is forced inwardly towards the door i pillar against the action of the spring 20.

" In'the operation of the device above described, it will be seenthat when the dog 18 is in the normal position shown, in Fig. 1, the outer side face thereof positioned within the slot 16 is disposed in a plane inwardly of the plane of the inclined face 14 on the Thus, as the door 6 is moved to its closed position, after the bolt is first repressed against the action of the latch spring by striking against the outer inclined surface 13 on the strike plate, said bolt engages the inclined inner surface 14 on the strike plate and slides over the same on opposite sides of the slot 16 without moving the dog. Of course the bolt is continually repressed against the action of the latch spring, and when the door is moved to its fully closed position and the outer side of the latch bolt is positioned in a plane beyond the end face of the strike plate, the latch spring immediately acts to project the latchbolt. the pressure`of thellatch spring, the latch bolt bears against the outer face 28 of the T-shaped extension on the lugv 18, overcoming the action of the spring 20 and forcing said dog inwardly towards the pillar 5. Concurrently with this inward movement of the dog, the inclined inner faces 29 on the lugs 27 coact with the inclined surfaces 24 on the lugs 23 and thereby cause a bodily movement of the dog longitudinally of the strike plate and at right angles to the line of movement.I of the latch bolt. Consequently, a positive inward pressure is exerted by the part 25 ofthe dog against the outer side of the latch bolt, resulting in the crowding of the door to its closed position. In this manner, the free edge of the door is held tightly against the door pillar and noisy' rattling due to vibration is entirely obviated. Also, it will be evident vthat any pressure against the inner side of the door will be transmitted through the latch bolt to the dog 18 at an acute angle with relation to the engaged surfaces 29 and 24 of the dog and the strike plate, and the extensive contacting area of these surfaces and the high frictional resist-ance resulting from the transmission of the pressure against the door through the latch bolt at a point out- Wardly of these contacting surfaces, precludes any retrograde movement of the dog towards itsl normal position which would tend to repress the latch bolt. Therefore, the

do'or will be tightly held in its closed vposition against the door pillar, and its accidental opening by pressure against the inner face of thedoor prevented.

At the same time, it -will be apparent that due to the mounting of the crowding dog, the

latter will offer practically no resistance to the free metraetihg movement of the latch Under bolt by the operation of the latch handle.

Thus, as the bolt is retracted and moved away from the outer face 28,0f the extension 26 on the dog, the leaf spring 2O immediately acts to urge the dog outwardly, relieving the fric tional pressure of the surfaces 29 on the dog against the inclined surfaces 24 of the strike plate and causing the surface 25 of the dog to move out of contact withthe outer face of the holt 9. This movement of the dog continues until it isy returned to its normal position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will therefore, be evident thatthe latch bolt can be readily retracted and released so as to permit of the opening movement ofthe door.

While any desired means might4 be provided for retaining the dog in its operative find it most convenient and. very inexpensive to make the slot 16 in the end of the strike plate of the dove-tail form shown in Figs. 3

and 4 of the drawings so that while the dog,

may have free operative movement Within the slot 16 as above explained, its disconnection from the strike plate Will be effectively prevented, the dove-tail form of the slot limiting the longitudinal movement of the dog beyond the end of the strike plate while the inclined stop 19 limits the movement of the dog towards the open front side of the slot.

ln Fig. 7 of the drawings, I have shown an application of my present improvements to a cupboard door or the like, in which the latch 8 is mounted in the upper edge of the door (5 and the strike plate 11 is secured in a mortise in the upper edge of the door casing. Therefore in this case, the crowding dog 18 drops downwardly by gravity in the slot of the strike plate to its normal position, and the use of the leaf spring 20 above referred to may be eliminated. Otherwise, the operation of the device is substantially the same as that heretofore described and the dog 18 Will be operated in the same manner by the projection of the latch bolt and caused to cooperate with the inclined end surfaces on the strike plate to crowd the door tightly to its closed position.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction of my improved latch strike as well as the several advantages thereof in practical use will be clearly understood. lt will be apparent that by the provision of the crowding dogr rectilinearly moving in tWo directions relative to the strike plate under the action of the latch spring, very positive coaction between the parts is assured and the crowding dog is also positively retained in its crowding position relative to the strike plate and is movable from such position only upon the positive retraction of the bolt by the operation of the latch handle. Therefore, I obtain not only the prevention of rattling of the door or the latch bolt against the strike plate, but I also obviate the possibility of serious accidents -due to the accidental opening of the door by pressure against the inner side thereof causing the latch bolt to be repressed and disengaged from the strike plate. Myl invention is particularly desirable for use in connection with automobile door latches, as it requires no alteration Whatever in the customary construction of the latch or of the door pillar. Also, the necessary changes in the conventional type of Strike plate required for the application of my invention thereto are relatively simple and may be made at comparatively small cost. 1

While I-have herein shown and described several embodiments of the device which are believed to be entirely practical for the purpose in View, it will nevertheless be understood that the essential features of my present improvements may also be incorporated in various other alternative structures, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the form, cbnstruction, and relative arrangement of partsv thereof as may be fairly embodied Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: v

1. A. keeper for a normally spring-projected latch bolt comprising a strike plate, and wedging means inclined in the direction of projection of said bolt and movable thereby in said plane of inclination.

2. A keeper for a normally spring-projected latch bolt comprising a strike plate, and an integral Wedging member slidable on said strike plate and movable bodily by and with said bolt toward the line of projection of said bolt.

3. A keeper for a normally sprin -projecte-d latch bolt comprising a strike p ate, a unitary Wedge mountedon said plate and rectilinearly movable by and with said bolt along a plane inclined toward and in the line of projection thereof.

4. A keeper for a normally spring-projected latch bolt comprising a strike plate having projecting guides with surfaces inclined towards and in the direction of the line of projection of said bolt, and a unitary wedge movable by said bolt on said guides against the action of a spring, said dog having an integral part engaging the entering face of said bolt to facilitate retraction thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

LEON OTTINGER. 

